1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recombinant organism and a protein produced by the recombinant organism.
2. Related Background Art
As a natural fiber with an excellent strength, spider silk has drawn an attention. However, spiders eat each other and thus are not suitable for farming in a same place, and the amount of spider silk obtained from a single spider is low. In addition, a spider uses different types of silk threads according to its needs. Therefore, a mass production of spider silk is difficult.
Then, an attempt has been made to introduce a gene encoding a spider silk protein into an organism excluding a spider by use of a gene recombinant technique to produce spider silk. For example, a method of producing a spider silk protein in a genetically modified goat and obtaining the spider silk protein from milk of the goat is disclosed (Patent Literature 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-506642). However, according to the method, the spider silk protein needs to be extracted, purified and artificially spun, being problematic in the points of labor, cost and environmental load due to a solvent.
To solve the aforementioned problems, an attempt has been made to introduce a gene encoding a spider silk protein into a silkworm to produce the spider silk protein (Patent Literature 2: WO2005/068495). By a recombinant silkworm, the spider silk protein is ejected as a silk thread, and therefore the aforementioned treatments such as extraction, purification and spinning are unnecessary.